20 Concrete Silos 



tage at times for carrying cattle for & longer time so 

 as to pass over a period of depression in the market, or 

 to carry the cattle along in thrifty condition so they 

 can be finished at a later period. 



For many years the belief was general that cattle 

 which received silage as a major portion of the rough- 

 age would have to be kept in warm barns and not ex- 

 posed to the cold. While they do need protection from 

 the cold winds 'and rains and need a dry place to lie 

 down, it has been clearly demonstrated that warm 

 barns are not only unnecessary, but that fattened cat- 

 tle make both larger and cheaper gains when fed in 

 the open sheds than when confined in barns. 



Silage can be profitably used to supplement the 

 pastures for steers during a time of drought, when they 

 are being finished for market. 



The general impression that choice or prime car- 

 casses cannot be made by the use of succulent feed is 

 equally untrue, as the silage-fed cattle usually make 

 more desirable caroasses than cattle fed a similar 

 ration except that silage was replaced by one of the 

 coarse fodders. There is no appreciable difference in 

 the percentage of marketable meat that steers will 

 dress out which have been finished on a silage ration 

 and a dry ration. The meat seems equally bright and 

 the fat as well intermixed with the lean. 



A number of the agricultural experiment stations 

 have conducted experiments at various times to ascer- 

 tain the value of silage as a rough feed. At the Mis- 

 souri Station, some experiments were made with two- 

 year-old fattening steers, under direction of Prof. H. 

 D. Allison. Without going into the details of this ex- 

 periment it will be necessary only to give a few para- 



